n3p 3 Posted May 17, 2008 Hi, Just bought an uprated loom off ebay Link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140232253769&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=004 However, not 100% sure of the improvement - looks a little brighter, but i really should have taken before and after pics! Anyway my voltage on the loom went from around 11.89v to 12.25 both sides. Is this normal for everyone else? Or have i bought a crappy loom? Im pretty sure its wired correctly. Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy 0 Posted May 18, 2008 Mine went up from about 9 ish volts, I noticed a night and day difference in light output. I just made mine up myself with a couple of relays,some new wire and Halfords 30% brighter bulbs. Did you measure your voltages with the bulbs in circuit? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted May 18, 2008 Yep, the voltage drop is made worse when the bulbs are there: cos the current will heat the wires up and increase their resistance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n3p 3 Posted May 18, 2008 tested beforehand without the headlight unit connected. Put the negative multimeter terminal on the battery earth and the +ve on the loom terminal. Maybe new bulbs could help. Is 12.24v a healthy reading in that case? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted May 19, 2008 Anything just over 12V is fine - thats what bulbs are designed for and will produce the best light at this voltage (ie white rather than yellow) Halfords Super Brilliance are well worth a try (as are any new bulbs if yours are more than 3 years old) and also check the lenses are not pitted and the reflectors in good condition. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted May 19, 2008 It's not just about voltage, but also current carrying capacity, which is ultimately what bulbs draw a lot of. The stock weedy loom couldn't carry much current, so the light output was shoddy to say the least. 12.24V with the engine off is respectable. Should rise to ~ 14V with the engine running. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n3p 3 Posted May 19, 2008 great! cheers for the reassurance. Tried cleaning the interior of the headlight (the shiny parts), but scrubbed too much as yellow started showing from underneath? woops! Wonder what I could use to give it a restoration :scratch: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dec 1 Posted May 19, 2008 Ouch!.....There's not really a whole lot you can do to repair them I'm afraid. :shock: I failed an mot on the yellow backing showing through the reflectors a few years back. We found a few places that can "re-chrome" plastic, but it worked out to be cheaper just to buy a new reflector. :gag: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted May 19, 2008 It won't be perfect, but better than bare plastic... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n3p 3 Posted May 19, 2008 Hey Dec 8) The good thing is i tried it on my MOT failed headlight, bad thing is that I was going to buy the replacement housing from some site you had mentioned on another post. Do you know VW would sell the reflector and at a moderate price? My guess: No and No :( Obsolete maybe? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n3p 3 Posted May 19, 2008 It won't be perfect, but better than bare plastic... Shiny! 8) This sounds like a cheaper alternative, will have to buy a test can ;) Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
